BBC: Meet CG animator Paulo Machado, the man who has lived in hospital for 45 years

Quote:
"
...Because the pair have been living in the hospital for so long, they are allowed to decorate their room with their own possessions. Zagui's side is filled with dolls and books - and being a confirmed cinephile, Machado's is full of film memorabilia. He also has two powerful computers, as he has been able to train in hospital as a computer animator.

In May this year he reached his target - $65,000 (£44,000) - in an online campaign to raise finance for a 3D animated film series called The Adventures of Leca and her Friends, based on a book that Zagui wrote which he will direct"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23364127

Originally Posted by Rocky Balboa:
All I wanna do is go the distance. If I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know that I wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood.

Even if the technique or theme isn't the best or the most exciting. The fact is you're sometimes dealt a poor hand and you still have to make the play.

At the very least the pair will have done something with their lives.

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"Your most creative work is pre-production, once the film is in production, demands on time force you to produce rather than create."My ArtStation

Any particular reason for this to be in GD and not in News? It'd probably be a bit of a stretch in news as well...
Is the idea to have a discussion on how CG specifically can give severely constrained hospitalized people a bigger incentive to live than pretty much any outward facing creative activity? (only case in which this would be GD material).

Originally Posted by ThE_JacO:
Is the idea to have a discussion on how CG specifically can give severely constrained hospitalized people a bigger incentive to live than pretty much any outward facing creative activity? (only case in which this would be GD material).

Ouch what? This cult of personality/sob story thing on the internet has gotten completely out of hand. If someone makes terrible work but they're handicapped, how should it be viewed? Purely as a charity case, which is perfectly fine, but you've posted it on a CG discussion area and the CG isn't being discussed. Setting creators up to be free from criticism by telling a sympathetic backstory is disingenuous.

Originally Posted by malcolmvexxed:Ouch what? This cult of personality/sob story thing on the internet has gotten completely out of hand. If someone makes terrible work but they're handicapped, how should it be viewed? Purely as a charity case, which is perfectly fine, but you've posted it on a CG discussion area and the CG isn't being discussed. Setting creators up to be free from criticism by telling a sympathetic backstory is disingenuous.

What a spectacularly horrid post. Where do you even see his animation work to have an opinion on it?

This isn't a "sob story" as you so heartlessly put it, it's actually, on the contrary, a story about how a guy in an extraordinarily difficult position is using a creative outlet to deal with his life. It's a very positive story and frankly I think it's a story that's always worth telling, as creativity can be an incredible cartharsis. I don't think the quality of the result is even relevant here, the story is that someone is actually doing something constructive with his time instead of wasting away in a hospital bed. And at any rate, he has plenty of time to practice his craft and improve.

Originally Posted by leigh:I don't think the quality of the result is even relevant here, the story is that someone is actually doing something constructive with his time instead of wasting away in a hospital bed.

I couldn't agree more.

I've now seen more CG artwork from this hospital bound guy than some users who have been posting on this forum for 11 years.

Originally Posted by leigh:It's a very positive story and frankly I think it's a story that's always worth telling

That's the thing. I think that, in this messed up world, these stories are important to hear. In moderation.

Just as you can become desensitized to tragedy by watching the news all day, you can just as easily become bored of the more uplifting stories. Worse yet, it can color your world view. By doing the former, you can become convinced that the entire world sucks. By doing the latter, you can become convinced that there's a happy ending and silver linings around every corner. It's never quite that clear cut and life is far more complex.

Originally Posted by leigh:And at any rate, he has plenty of time to practice his craft and improve.

And that's really one element of my earlier point. Constructive critique is good and we shouldn't be afraid of it, regardless of whether the person is perfectly healthy or infirmed. Maybe it's just that I lack tact or something, but I've never been one to shy away from saying what's on my mind.

FTR, I was referring to his thumbnails, not the 3D shots. Just so that we're clear. They're serviceable, but only just. I still think that the visual narrative could be punched up some, allowing for a cleaner read.

Originally Posted by leigh:Do you also go around trashing five year old children's drawings?

Y'know.... Whenever I get a drawing from my 5yo nephew... Here's what I do.

First off, I commend him and thank him. He's obviously got a passion for art and loves to do what his father and uncle do.

Second, I try to offer him some helpful tips. Naturally, I'll phrase it in a funny way like, "Hey! Since when is my head that big? Did you give me green skin and a mohawk?" (Kid loves his mohawks. ) He laughs and he tries something different next time. Usually something even weirder. He's still having fun so that's all that matters.

I won't ever discourage him. I won't ever be cruel and tear him down. He's pretty much got unfettered access to my Cintiq and Sketchbook Pro whenever he wants. I just realize that, yeah, I'm dealing with a 5 year old. HOW I handle him is different, but my critiques themselves really aren't.

I think that it's important for children to learn to handle honest criticism. The earlier the better. Not to sound like an old man, but this generation of kids is kinda soft. It's important to encourage and uplift, but not to outright lie.

I always see parents telling kids that they can be whatever they want and that they're good at everything. That's just not realistic or even true. Hey. I suck at geography and history. I will never be a cartographer or archaeologist. I get lost in thought and can't remember what I ate for breakfast. I accept that I have limitations. I try to transcend them, but there are certain things I will never be great at. Instead, I'd much rather focus on my natural aptitudes. That's why my parents strongly encouraged my explorations in the maths and sciences.

It bothers me when every kid gets a trophy in a sporting event and they're all winners. I don't get that. How can you savor victory when you've never known defeat? Call me old fashioned, but trophies are only for winners, not participants.

That brings me back to the story at hand. I commend this guy for transcending his physical limitations. I commend him for pursuing something he's passionate about. However, given that he's still on a journey, I think that it's a bit early to write epic ballads in his honor. Sorry, Chewie. No medal for you this day. Kudos for joining the party though.

__________________
DISCLAIMER: The views presented herein do not necessarily represent those of my brain.

Originally Posted by leigh:What a spectacularly horrid post. Where do you even see his animation work to have an opinion on it?

This isn't a "sob story" as you so heartlessly put it, it's actually, on the contrary, a story about how a guy in an extraordinarily difficult position is using a creative outlet to deal with his life. It's a very positive story and frankly I think it's a story that's always worth telling, as creativity can be an incredible cartharsis. I don't think the quality of the result is even relevant here, the story is that someone is actually doing something constructive with his time instead of wasting away in a hospital bed. And at any rate, he has plenty of time to practice his craft and improve.

Do you also go around trashing five year old children's drawings?

What's hilarious is (a) that you're comparing this to trashing a five year old's drawings and think I'm the one being crude and (b) that in your usual sanctimonious idiocy you assume I didn't even read the article - when in reality I read the article looked up the kickstarter-ish campaign it mentions as you know.. the basis for the article, and watched the video which includes a preview of the show they're trying to create. Your stupidity is exhausting.

Where is anybody handing out trophies to this guy and calling him a winner?

I personally hate the "everyone is a special snowflake" culture too, but I don't see that in this particular case. Not even remotely. Honestly, I can't help wondering whether Cookepuss and Malcomvexxed even read the article, because his animation project is mentioned only near the bottom and is not the focus of the article.

Originally Posted by leigh:Where is anybody handing out trophies to this guy and calling him a winner?

I was referring to the overabundance of human interest stories and the near automatic and predictable stance people take. It's nearly impossible to criticize somebody in one of these stories without looking like a mustache twirling bad guy.

Goodness forbid that the person dies. They automatically become an untouchable and flawless saint at that point. (Notice how when young people die that they were always A students? As a kid, I used to joke that my key to immortality would be a solid C average. ... Yeah. I got smacked across the head for that... hard. Needless to say, I did well in school.)

My point being, the message being sent when you can't say that something isn't perfect is that, in fact, it is. Those with kinder hearts might just say that the quality doesn't matter and isn't the point. That's kind of a cop out. Quality should always matter.

Regardless, I'll just leave this off with a quote from the nurse:

"My heart is full of happiness that he could achieve one of his objectives"

I'm a firm believer in the idea that quality and completion should always go hand in hand. However, I do feel that people DO have something to learn from this. Set goals for yourself and actively pursue them. To me, more than the triumph of the human spirit, that is the take away.

Originally Posted by leigh:Honestly, I can't help wondering whether Cookepuss and Malcomvexxed even read the article, because his animation project is mentioned only near the bottom and is not the focus of the article.

Yes. I did read the article. However, given that this is a CG oriented board, do you really expect us not to even address that aspect?

Like I said, I'm not going to flame this guy. I'm sure the end results will speak for themselves. Maybe I'm just being too hard on what is simply work product, which isn't always pretty. My comments stand, but I will lighten up. Don't worry. I'm not trying to troll or anything.

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DISCLAIMER: The views presented herein do not necessarily represent those of my brain.

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